Watsonville bulks up with five new firefighters

Watsonville >> The perennially short-staffed Watsonville Fire Department welcomed five new firefighters at a ceremony Thursday at the fire station on Airport Boulevard.

The recruits — three hired full time and two others to back up positions vacant due to long-term illnesses or leaves — bring staffing up to 29 active firefighters, a level expected to reduce though not eliminate chronic overtime.

The graduation ceremony, marking the recruits completion of the department's six-week academy, was the first since 2008.

All five recruits are paramedic/firefighters who bring experience from other agencies. They start their shifts Sunday.

"We're not wasting time," said Fire Chief Mark Bisbee. "We should start seeing the numbers change in overtime by the month of May."

Overtime has run up department costs by hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years because at 30 allocated positions, there's no way to cover shifts without it when firefighters are out. The chief even limited vacations, as the number of active firefighters fell as low as 23.

With the new staff, Bisbee will be able to field two shifts of nine firefighters each, and one of 10. He's hoping a sales tax measure on the June 3 ballot will pass to allow him to hire an additional six firefighters.

Kevin Laine and Cyrus Gutnick were hired as temporary firefighters. Bisbee declined to say if they would be hired permanently if the sales tax passes, but he noted their applications were in the top 10 percent of the 50 reviewed for recruitment.

At the formal ceremony, officials gave speeches, and family members pinned badges to the recruits' navy blue uniforms.

Mary and Evelyn Handelin came down from Fort Bragg to see Cyrus Gutnick, their son and grandson, respectively, graduate. Mary Handelin said her hands were trembling as she pinned on Gutnick's badge.

"This is really a big deal for us," she said.

Bisbee told the recruits that in coming months, they'd be tested on their technical skills, but also on their character, on qualities such as kindness and compassion.

"Always remember this moment, and retain the heart of a rookie," he said.

After the ceremony, Muhoberac, 28, wearing the grin of a guy who's reached a milestone, went to work putting away the folding chairs that provided seats for the audience. He's spent the past seven years working toward his goal of a full-time career as a firefighter. He studied at Monterey Peninsula College, and, for the past four years, worked as a paid on-call firefighter in Scotts Valley.

His fiance, mother, sister and grandparents were in the audience, cheering him on.

"I just want to help the community and enjoy the brotherhood, the camaraderie of the guys in the station," Muhoberac said.